


All That Glitters Is Not Goldfish

by LadyBeaumont



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 06:22:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16362548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBeaumont/pseuds/LadyBeaumont
Summary: This step in their relationship didn’t need a heroic posture.





	All That Glitters Is Not Goldfish

The concept of weekends took some adjustment but not as much as Danny had braced himself for. C.J. thrived in the warm California weather, the sun seemed to help lure her away from the office. Of course there were days where he would have to remind her that work would still be there on Monday, and others where he knew which battles to fight and C.J. spending a few extra hours at the office wasn’t one of them. They spent their weekend days pottering around the house, relaxing by the pool, or hiking through the LA hills. The evenings they spent at the movies, having dinner with friends and taking moonlit walks along the beach. The everyday life stuff they slotted in between, trips to Whole Foods, mountains of laundry that they’d ignored during the week, and simply curling up together on the sofa at the end of the night and watching television.

This was one of those ordinary Saturday nights. Danny lay back on the sofa, arm outstretched along the backrest, feet up on the foot stool. C.J. meanwhile, had stretched out along the rest sofa, back partly leaning up against Danny’s chest, her hand gently resting on his thigh. Every now and then his hand would leave the back of the sofa and he’d absentmindedly stroke her hair. She loved it when he played with her hair. 

“Do you want a drink?” She asked as she hoisted herself up during an ad break.  
“Please.” He replied as she walked out the room.  
She was getting the milk out of the fridge when she heard him shout his request for a Kit Kat. She returned shortly after with two mugs of coffee and a Kit Kat, which she dropped into his lap before handing him his mug, and snuggling back down beside him on the sofa. It wasn’t long before they settled back into the positions they’d previously been in. 

Once the coffee was finished and Danny had put his mug down, his hand came to rest over C.J.’s which was still on his thigh. Like her hair earlier, he stroked it absentmindedly, played with her fingers and interlocked them with his own. 

"You know what this finger needs?" he announced stroking over her ring finger and then holding her hand out for her to see.  
"What?"  
"A ring."  
"Really?” she asked with a smirk, “What kind of ring?"  
"A diamond one."  
"Yeah? How many carats?"  
"Half..? One." C.J. turned and gave him a look, "Two."  
She settled back to her previous position, this time resting the side of her head against him more and holding out her hand again to look. "Colour?"  
"Of diamond?" He asked, perplexed.  
"Band, Mr Moneybags, band!"  
"I don't know, maybe you have a deep love of pink diamonds I didn't know about." C.J. scrunched up her face in disgust. "Platinum."  
She seemed pleased. "So this ring my finger needs, who's going to buy it for me?"  
"I could get it tomorrow or do you want to go pick together?"  
"Surprise me." She squeezed his thigh gently.  
"Okay. I'll go tomorrow."  
"Okay."  
There was a brief pause while the normality of life carried on.  
"To be clear,” Danny asked, “are we-?"  
"Yes,” she replied.  
"Okay."

***  
At the sound of the front door closing C.J. strode out into the hallway to meet Danny.  
"He's alive! I was about to send out a search party." Danny had been out for the best part of the day but he’d finally returned laden down with bags. The small white one hanging off his right wrist was the one C.J. was most curious about.  
"Sorry I've been all over town, I couldn't find the right ring."  
"Did you find one in the end?" she asked hopefully. Danny shook his head. "I'm sorry I just want it to be perfect; none of those rings were perfect."  
"It's okay,” she said then leant over and kissed him quickly on the lips and let him pass by into the kitchen to put the bags down. “What's in jewellery bag?"  
"Cufflinks."  
"Oh." She has been trying not to be disappointed but the oh slipped out.  
"I'm going to find it, I promise, just not today."  
She nodded like it was fine and he dumped the bags down on the counter. "What else did you get?"  
"A new shirt for tonight and some groceries." He started putting the groceries away.  
"We’re still going out tonight?"  
"We're still celebrating aren't we? Or have you changed your mind while I've been out?"  
"Well,” she sighed dramatically, “you were gone for so long."  
"Damn did one of your fancy men jump in while I was out?"  
"Yeah, he got me a 16 carat diamond, I didn't want to wear it and embarrass you."  
Danny looked over at her in mock sadness but found himself unable to keep a straight face much longer. The two of them chuckled and smiled at each other.  
"There's something you might like in that Whole Foods bag," he said gesturing to a bag near her.  
C.J. dove in. "Ooo half eaten Goldfish crackers!” She pulled the open bag out like a prize, “You sure know how to treat a girl."  
"I try my best."  
C.J. jumped up on the counter making no attempt to help Danny, took a handful of crackers and threw them into her mouth. "You weren't," she stopped momentarily to finish chewing, "you weren't going to propose in the restaurant were you? I'd hate that, everyone watching."  
"Need I remind you of the scene you caused in a restaurant on our second date?"  
"Firstly that was our first date, the other one was—“  
“A business dinner,” Danny said with her, “I know.”  
“And secondly that was a stressful and-" C.J. flinched at the memory, "regrettable time. I wasn't at my best, you can't hold that against me."  
"So our first date was regrettable?"  
"Not the date, just my behaviour, it didn't exactly show me in the best light."  
Danny grimaced slightly, "I kinda wish you'd told me about the no grand public gestures thing before I spent the day organising tonight."  
Her face fell. "Danny you haven't." He laughed and shook his head. She threw a cracker at him.  
"Hey! It's rude to throw gifts back in people's faces."  
She rolled her eyes at him as he picked up the cracker from the floor and ate it anyway. "So when are we going to tell people?"  
"Well I was thinking once I've found the ring we can start with family and take it from there."  
"I'd want to tell my dad in person. There's more of a chance of him understanding."  
"Of course."  
He walked over to her and rested his hands on her thighs and gave them a reassuring rub. She opened her legs and let him move closer in between them. He took advantage of the closeness and gave her a kiss.  
"Give me a goldfish,” he whispered.  
She rolled her eyes, reached into the bag and put a single goldfish cracker in his mouth.  
"Is that all I get?"  
"You ate some while you were out not buying me a ring."  
"I told you none of them were right. You should be rewarding me for not just getting the cheapest one in the sale."  
"Such high expectations. Here." She put her hand back in the bag to pull out a handful when her fingers brushed against something hard and smooth. She frowned for a second before realising what it was and laughed, "You're such an idiot."  
"What have I done now!" She started laughing even harder while she shook the bag around, further revealing a small maroon box.  
"Is there something in there?" He asked her innocently.  
"I swear to God Danny if these are more cufflinks—“ She pulled out the box.  
He grinned. "Open it."  
She did. Inside lay a single goldfish cracker. "Are you kidding me?!"  
C.J. looked up, ready to thump Danny, only to find him on the floor in front of her on one knee holding out a ring.  
"Claudia Jean Cregg, will you marry me?"


End file.
